Car-starter



(No Model.)

' C. W. HALL.

CAR STARTER.

No. 433,982. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

2x19 arrref UNITED STATESY PATENT OFFCE.

CHARLES w. HALL, or LYoNs, IowA.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ,Patent No. 433,982, dated August 12, 1890. Application filed April 28, 1890i Serial 150.349.738. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WV. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lyons, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machine-Starters and I hereby declare the following to b'e a full, clear, and exact description of the same. g

My invention relates to certain improvements whereby air is compressed in a cylinder by mechanism worked by the momentum of the moving machine, which compression of air acts as a brake to bring the machine to rest, and which compressed air is made to operate a mechanism by which the machine is again putin motion.

My invention consists of a cylinder which is divided into a compressed-air chamber and a vacuum-chamber by a piston, which piston is provided with a mechanism by means of which it can be thrown into gear whenever desired, and by the motion of the machine Athe piston is drawn against the compressed air until the resistance stops the machine, and when it is desired the piston is released and the machine started in motion again by the pressure of the compressed air upon the piston, acting together with the vacuum, causing the piston to retake its former position. I attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

I which- 'Figure l is a vertical section of a car with my device attached. Fig. 2 is a horizontal iView of the same from above. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the eccentric device by means of which the piston is thrown into gear, and Fig. 4 is another view of the same attachment in the same position as shown in Figs. l and 2.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several views.

C is the cylinder fixed beneath the floor of the car.

1 P is the piston operating within the cylinc er.

R is the piston-rod, which is made hollow, with angular openings at each end, and through which hollow piston-rod R the angular shaft S passes and extends to the ends of the car, and at each end of which piston-rod is fixed the eccentric attachment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and which eccentric attachmen-ts are placed at such an angle each to each that when one is in position to operate the other is in a position so as to be altogetherinoperative.

volving axles of the car, and around which the endless chain E is made to pass. y f

D and D are clutches, by means of .which the eccentric grasps the moving chain E, which the dotted lines in Fig. 3 when not pressing against the chain E.

A is an air pump and condenser connected with the cylinder and operated at will by means of a friction-gear or other mechanism, the object of which pump and condenser is to provide against the leakage caused by imperfect packing of the piston, &c.

L I operate my invention as follows: When the car in Figs. l and 2 is moving, as from right to left in the drawings,the chain will be moving in the direction indicated by the arrow. If it is now desired to stop the car, the shaft S is turned part way around by means of the lever L on the forward end of the car. This will bring the eccentric against the chain and the pressure will cause theclutches D and D to act, as indicated in Fig. 3,the clutchD grasping the upper strand of the chain. The piston P will be thereby drawn against the compressed air in the forward end of the cylinder C, leaving a greater vacuum in the backward end of said cylinder C till the resistance thereby generated will stop the motion of the chain E, and the mechanism to which it is attached will be brought to rest. l

It will be seen by referring to Fig. et that the'lower clutch D is so formed that as long as the chain continues to move in the p direction indicated by the arrow the under strand of the moving chainE (which is slack) will pass freelyV over as over a ratchet; but as soon as the chain ceases to draw the piston and the car stops the pressure upon the piston P will tend to draw it back and will cause the lower clutch D to catch in the chain, and both clutchesbeing fastened into the chain there will be no motion, and the wheels will remain at rest. When it is desired to start the car forward, the lever L is thrown slightly back toward the left, when, because of the upper clutch D being farther from the piston-rod or WV are sprocket-wheels attachedto the reclutches will take the position indicated by.

IOO

axis on which the eccentric attachment turns, the lower clutch D', together with the action of the spring S, the upper strand of the chain will be relieved and the pressure upon the piston P will pull it back to its original position, carrying with it the under strand on the chain E and causing the sprocket-wheels W, together with the axles Ato which they are attached, to revolve, and thus to start the car or machine to which it is attached.

It will readily be seen that when it is desired that the car should be run the other way the eccentric attachment at the other end of the piston-rod can be operated by means of the lever L', the relative position of the cornpressed-air chamber and vacuum is changed- '12. e., the chamber forward of the piston being compressed air and the after one avacuum andmyinvention used with equal effect either end about the car is run. It will be further seen that the angular shaft S under one car canbe coupled with that of another, so that any number of cars can be operated from one point and by means of one lever.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A car-starter comprising, in combination, a cylinder C, a sprocket-Wheel XV, chain E, and piston P, whereby a moving car may be brought to rest by the compression of air and the car again put in motion by the'ex'pansion of the compressed air, substantially as set forth. f

2. A oar-starter consisting of a cylinder C, piston P, sprocket Wheels W, and endless 35 chain E, in combination with an air pump and condenser A, whereby a moving car may be brought to rest by the compression of air and A the car again put in motion by the air compressed, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a cylinder C and piston P, a hollow piston-rod R, with angular openings to receive a rod with like angles, whereby the piston-rod is turned and made to engage other mechanism at whatsoever point 45 the piston may be within the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A cylinder C and a piston P, in combination with an air-pump A, 4together with suitable gearing, whereby the Vpiston may be at- 5o taehed to a moving machine and the same brought to rest by means of the atmospheric pressure generated by drawing the piston forward, leaving a vacuum behind, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES W. HALL.

Vitnesses:

THORNTON HALL, WV. C. HENDRICK. 

